Shuttle-feeler thread parter and clamp



Feb. 10, 1931.

F. X. DION SHUTTLE FEELER THREAD PARTER AND CLAMP Filed Nov. 1.. 1929 //Vl/NTOR ATTO RNEY I filling replenishing looms with a shuttle Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE FRANK x. DION, 01? SOUTH MANCHESTER, coNN c'rIoU'r, AsSIGNoE T0 DRAPER con- PORATION, 0E HOPEDALE, MAssAcHUsE'r'rs, A coEroEATIoNoE MAINE.

- SHUTTLE-FEELER THREAD PARTER AND CLAMP Application filed November 1, 1929. Serial N 104,053.

This invention relates to a combined thread parter and clampfor looms and is more particularly directed to ashuttle feeler thread parter and clamp.

It is now the ordinary practice to provide feeler thread parter and clamp which, on call for replenishment of filling, is movedrearwardly to position the thread parter and clamp to part and clamp the filling.

In such prior devices, the portion of the thread leading to the boxed shuttle is parted or cut to free the filling that it may pass from the loom with the ejected carrier or bobbin, and it has been the usual practice to clamp theend leading to the cloth selvage so that as the shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp is moved to its front position following replenishment, .the end leading to the cloth selvage is brought into the field of action of the selvage thread cutter, such, for instance, as a temple or the like.

usually been mounted upon the shuttle feeler and comprise a fixed cutter member, a movable cutter member and cooperating fixed and movable clamping members, and such members have been held in their laterally associated relation by means of a spring forcing all of the cooperating members into their cooperating positions.

Since the clamping members are to clamp and hold the end of the filling leading to the cloth selvage they should be associated laterally so that while eifectively clamping and holding the filling end between them, they will not part the filling end and thereby free it, so that it will dangle or extend clownwardly from the cloth selvage and fail to be brought into the field of action of the temple thread cutter.

The filling will vary in size or count, some filling being heavier and larger than other filling, and a lateral association oi, the two clamping members that may be suitable for one size or character of filling is quite unsuited for another size.

One of the objects of the presentinvention, therefore, is toprovide a combined parter and clamp of the shuttle feeler type wherein the two parting members may rea'dily beadjusted laterally with respect to eachotherto adapt them for use in connection with varying sizes of fillingwitho'ut the attendant danger of the clamping members cutting or severing thej'filling leading to the j cloth selvage. j

In accordance with the present invention, the combined patter and clamp comprises cutting means and two clamping members, one of which is fixed and the other of which is movable, so that the two clamping members may act somewhat in the nature of shears or sc1ssors,.and sinceit is important that when the'filling end is to be clamped it shall not be moved outwardly from the clamping mernbers, one ofthe clampingmembers, has "its cedgt'e1 which engages the filling provided with ee p .7 Another feature of the'inv'ention consists 1n means for normally pressing the fixed clamping member towardsthe planeof action I position relative to the movable clamping member, .whereby filling or differentisiz'e's maybe clamped and held bythe clampin members, e'ven throughthe size of the filling I varies to a large degree; A

The invention and new combination of parts will best be made clear from the fol: lowing description and accompanying draw pigs of one "goodembod'iment of the invenion. T In'the drawings:

F g. 1 is a perspective view of a combined thread parter and clamp containing the present invention and'shownas associated with the lay, only part of which is illustrated; and

Fig. ls'a perspective view showing the relation ofparts of the combined parter and clamp in open position.

The shuttle feeler may be of'any of the usual well-known constructions, but as herein shown it comprises the body portion 1 carin the art, serves to move the shuttle feeler and the parts carried thereby rearwardly into shuttle feeling position. i

The thread parting means as herein shown comprises a fixed cutter blade 3 and a movable cutter blade 4:, the latter of which is pivotally mounted'on a stud 5 extending into the body member 1 of the shuttle feeler. As-

sociated with the movablecutterA is the movable clamping member 6, which is pivotal likewise and mounted upon the stud 5, and the two members 4 and 6 of'thecutter and the parterare held in their associated relation on the body member 1 by a spring? interposed between the head of the bolt 5 and the surface 8 of a cutter and clamp carrying member 9.

Whenthe shuttle feeler has been moved to its rearward shuttle feeling position it is desirable that the movable thread parter and thread clamp be opened from their associated members, as indicated in the drawings, and to this end any of the usual means maybe employed to open the parter and clamp as the shuttle feeler moves rearwardly to its shuttle feeling position, but in the present instance of the invention the pivotally mount: ed carrier 9 has extending therefrom a pin 10 to which is connected an operating rod 11 actuated by some going part of the loom, and in these respects the partsmay be substantially as shown and described in the patent to Benjamin F. McGuiness, No. 1,610,562, dated December 14, 1926, but so far as the present invention is concerned, as will hereina afterappear, the movable cutter. and clamping members may be otherwise actuated.

The stationary clamping member 12 is constituted as a plate' mounted on the body portion 1 of the shuttle feeler, independent of the movable thread parter and clamp, and since the action of the movable clamping member 6 is in the nature of shears or scissors as it closes relative to the fixed clamping member, the latter is provided with a series of teeth 13 which engage the filling, as indicated in Fig. 1, and hold it from being moved from within the clamping zone of the clampingmembers as the movable clamping member closes.- v The fixed clamping member 12 is normally under the influence of a spring 14 which tends to move the fixed clamping member towards the plane of action of the movable clamping member 6, and to regulate the relative lateral positions of the fixed and movable clamping members the present invention, as shown, provides means for limiting the bodily and lateral movement of the fixed clamping member towards the plane of action of the movable clamping member.

The spring 14 which acts upon the fixed clamping member preferably rests upon the endportion of an adjustable pin 15 passed through the fixedclamping' member 12, so that the action of the spring may be readily varied as desired. The spring 1 1 is carried by an arm 16 between which and the body 1 of the shuttle'feeler the spring extends and is held by the screws or other suitable fastening means 17 the construction being such that the spring 14, shown as a leaf spring, normally acts to move the fixed clamping member 12 in a lateral direction towards the plane of action of the movable clamping member 6, which, when the movable clamp ing member is moved to closed position, passes into the space between the fixed clamping member 12 and the fixed cutter member 3 in order to clamp the end of the filling a leading towards the cloth selvage.

The fixed clamping member 12 is mounted in a recess 18 formed in the body portion 1 of the shuttle feeler, whereby the fixed clamping member will be guided as it varies in its lateral position relative to the movable clamping member. As a further means of thus guiding the fixed clamping member, pins 19 secured to the body portion'l of the shuttle feeler may extend through holes in the fixed clamping member 12, as indicated.

As hereinbefore stated, it is desirable that the two clamping members may be relatively positioned to clamp and hold filling of varying sizes, and in order to'vary the lateral position of the two clamping members the fixed clamping member is provided with adjusting means which limit the action of the spring 1% and thus vary the relative positions of the two clamping members. l

' In the present instance of the invention, the fixed clamping member 12 is provided with adjusting screws or bolts 20, 21, one preferably being located at each side ofthe point 15 where the spring 14 acts upon the fixed clamping member. The adjusting screws 20 and 21 may be appropriately threaded into the fixed clamping member 12 and have their end portions 22 bearing upon a fixed part opposite the fixed clamping member, as, for instance, the ends of the'adjusting screws may bear upon the fixed cutter member 3, and as the movable cutter 1 and clamping blades 6 close with relation to the fixed cutter 3 and fixed clamping member 12, they pass into the space between the fixed cutting member 3 and the fixed clamping member 12, to thereby cut and clamp the thread.

From the construction thus far described it will be apparent that while the spring 14 normally acts to press the fixed clamping member 12 towards the plane of action of themovable clamping member, the adjusting screws 20 and 21 act as limiting stops which may be manipulated to regulate the relative lateral positions of the fixed and movable clamping members to accommodate filling of greatly different sizes, from the large, heavy cotton 7 thread, to the smaller silk, artificial silk, rayon, andthe like, so that by simple adjustthe other in the rear of the point where the spring 14 acts upon the fixed clamping member, with the result that the clamping mem-- ber 12 may not only be regulated in its lateral position with respect to the plane of acion of the movable clamping member, but the fixed clamping member may also be swung about the point 15 as a center, to thereby bring the fixed clamping member in parallel relation with the plane of action of the movable clamping member.

The lay 23 may be of the usual construction and as herein shown it has a cutaway portion 24 into which portions of the thread parter and clamp may project as the shuttle feeler is moved rearwardly into shuttle -feeling position.

When filling replenishment is to be effected, the shuttle 25 will be in the filling replenishing shuttle box and the thread a leading from the substantially exhausted filling carrier in theshuttle will be engaged by the slotted end portion 26 of the shuttle feeler and will be guided between the cutting and clamping members, substantially as indicated in Fig. 1, and upon operative movement of the movable cutter and movable clamp the thread will be caught and held from outward movement by the teeth 13 of the fixed clamping member, between which and the movable clamping member the thread will be clamped and held.

It will be noted that the fixed clamping member 12 is constituted as a plate mounted upon the shuttle feeler independent of the pivotal mounting of the cooperating movable clamping member, and that it is normally under the influence of a spring the extent of activity of which is controlled by the adjusting devices or adjusting screws 20 and 21, as here inbefore described, so that the relation between the movable and fixed clamping members can be regulated in accordance with the character or size of the filling to be clamped and held.

lVhat is claimed is:

' 1. In combined thread parter and clamp for looms, means to cut the filling, a fixed clamping member and a movable clamping member to clamp and hold the filling end leading to the cloth selvage, a spring acting on the fixed clamping member to move it to wards the plane of movement of the movable clamping member, adjusting stops for the fixed clamping member for securing it from movement in any lateral position relative to the movable clamping member that the two clamping members may be'lat'erally held inseparated variablewamounts in. ac-

cordance with the size of the thread to be clamped and prevented from parting the thread as they close upon it.

2. In a combined thread parter and clamp for looms, means to cut the filling, a fixed clamping member and a movable clamping member to clamp and hold the filling end leading to the cloth selvage, a spring acting on the fixed clamping member to move it towards the plane of movement of the movable clamping member, guiding means for direct-V mg the movement of the fixed clamping mem- I ber, and limiting stops acting'positively on the fixed clamping member 1n opposition to said spring for fixing the lateral and angular position of the stationary clamping member with respect to the path of movement of the movable clamping member in accordance with the size of the filling to be clamped.

3. In a combined thread parter andclamp for loom-s, means to, cutthe filling, fixed and movable clamping members to clamp and hold the cut filling end, a spring normally acting on the fixed clamping member to move it towards the plane of action of the-movable clamping member, adjustable limiting stops extending transversely ofthe fixed clamping member for varying its fixed lateral position of separation from the movable clamping member in accordance with the size of the thread to be clamped and serving to hold it in fixed position thatthe thread to be clamped may not be sheared or out by the clamping members as they close upon'it.

a; In a combined thread parter and clamp for looms, means to cutthe filling, a movable clampingfmember and a cooperating fixed clamping member having a toothed edge toengage the filling and prevent its outward movement under the action of the movable clamping member, a spring normally acting on, the fixed clamping member to move it towards the plane of action of the movable clamping member, and adjustable stops acting positively in a lateral direction fordefining the lateral position of the fixed clamping member and its fore and aft relation with respect to the path of movement of the movable clampi memberv that the two clamping members may clamp various sizes of filling between them; I

5. In a combined thread parter and clamp for looms, means to cut the filling, a fixed clamping member and a movable clamping member to clamp and hold the filling'end leading to the cloth selvage, a spring acting on the fixed clamping member to move it towards the plane of movement of the movable clamping member, and two adjusting stops for swinging the fixed clamping member into a plane parallel withthe plane of movement of the movable clamping member and limiting the movement of the fixed clamping member towards said plane, 7

6. In a shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp, the combination of a pivotally mounted cutter and clamp, a spring acting to hold the pivoted cutter and clamp in position on their pivotal mounting, a fixed cutter, a fixed clamp, a spring acting on the fixed clamp to move it towards the plane of action of the pivoted clamp, and an adjustable stop in front and in rear of the point of action of the spring for varying the position of the fixed clamp relative to the plane of movement of the pivoted clamp that filling of different sizes may be held between the side surfaces of the two clamps.

7. In a combined thread parter and clamp for looms, means for cutting the filling, a movable clamping member, a fixed clamping member, a spring normally acting on the fixed clamping member in a direction toward the plane of movement of the movable clamping member, adjusting stops secured to the fixed clamping member in front and rear of the point of action of said spring for swinging the fixed clamping member into parallel relation with the movable clamping member and limiting its bodily movement under the action of the spring that filling of diiferent sizes may be clamped and held between the two clamping members.

8. In a combined thread parter and clamp for looms, means for cutting the filling, a movable clamping member, a fixed clamping member, a spring normally acting on the fixed clamping member in a direction toward the plane of movement of the movable clamping member, adjusting screws threaded through the fixed clamping member in front and rear of the point of action of said spring for swinging the fixed clamping member about the point of action of the spring as a center into parallel relation with the plane of action of the movable clamping member and limiting its bodily movement under the action of the spring that filling of difierent sizes may be clamped between and held by the clamping members.

9. In a shuttle feeler thread parter and clamp for looms, the combination of the shuttle feeler, a fixed and a movable thread parter, a fixed and a movable thread clamp, a spring normally acting on the fixed clamp to press it bodily towards the plane of action of the movable clamp, adjusting screws carried by the fixed clamp and having their ends bearing upon a fixed part for limiting the bodily movement of the fixed clamp towards the plane of action of the movable clamp to space said two clamps in proper relation for clamping and holding filling of different sizes.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK X. DION. 

